West End nightspot Tiger Tiger is fined £120,000 after clubbers were served CAUSTIC SODA instead of salt with tequila shots due to mix-up by bungling staff which saw four rushed to hospital ‘bleeding from their mouths’

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West End nightspot Tiger Tiger has been fined £120,000 after clubbers were accidentally served caustic soda instead of salt with their tequila shots due to a mix-up by bungling staff.

Four women were rushed to hospital ‘bleeding from their mouths’ and vomiting after accidentally ingesting the cleaning chemical during the horrific incident back in December 2021. 

Other clubbers were so shocked by the incident that some believed there had been a terror attack in the club.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard the women visited the popular night spot in the Haymarket area of the West End and went to the bar to order shots.

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The barman realised he had run out of salt for the shots as he was preparing the drinks.

He then used a plastic cup to scoop out what he believed to be salt from a large white container on a shelf, in a horrifying error in an unlit storage area behind the bar, the court heard.

West End nightspot Tiger Tiger has been fined £120,000 after clubbers were accidentally served caustic soda instead of salt with their tequila shots due to a mix-up by bungling staff 

Shots of tequila are traditionally served with salt and a slice of lemon or lime

The punters poured out the caustic soda onto the back of their hands, licked it off and then threw the shot back. 

The women instantly fell ill and the barman knew something was wrong. He tasted the white powder himself and the corrosive cleaning agent burned his mouth, the council said. The women were given water to ease the burning and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Members of the Metropolitan Police found the container of caustic soda in the storage. 

Last week, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, A3D2 Limited – the owners of Tiger Tiger – pleaded guilty to four health and safety breaches, by ‘failing to ensure (customers) were not exposed to the risk of chemical substances’. The firm was hit with a £120,000 fine over the incident.

Speaking about the incident, one insider told The Sun: ‘A group of four women and a man necked the tequilas and used salt and lemon to soften the taste, then began to retch.  There was panic. People thought it was some kind of terrorist incident.’

Westminster City Council’s deputy leader Councillor Aicha Less said she hopes the ‘significant fine’ the bar faced would prevent similar incidents happening in the future.

Westminster City Council’s deputy leader Councillor Aicha Less said she hopes the ‘significant fine’ the bar faced would prevent similar incidents happening in the future

 The firm that owns Tiger Tiger was hit with a £120,000 fine over the incident which took place two years ago

She said: ‘The shocking details of this case show a lack of attention and proper process for handling toxic cleaning chemicals. This incident shows that overlooking basic safety measures can have the most serious consequences. We hope the significant fine awarded in court acts to all businesses as a warning, preventing this from ever happening again. 

‘Westminster City Council’s Health and Safety Team will continue to work with all businesses in the city to make sure the highest levels of health and safety are consistently maintained, and staff are educated in safe practice.’

Tiger Tiger has been open in Haymarket since 1998 and say they are a ‘staple of London’s nightlife scene’ on their website. 

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